PARENTAL LEAVE

Missouri families are the foundation of our state and our nation. When Missouri families thrive, Missouri thrives. The Missouri Attorney General’s Office will do everything in its power to protect them.

That’s why the Attorney General’s Office put into place a new policy allowing employees to receive paid parental leave following the birth or adoption of a child:

Every employee shall receive parental leave following the birth or adoption of a child for whom the employee is a primary or secondary caregiver.
a. Every employee who is the primary caregiver shall receive six weeks of parental leave.
b. Every employee who is the secondary caregiver shall receive three weeks of parental leave.
c. If both parents are state employees, each parent shall receive parental leave, which may be taken concurrently, consecutively, or at different times.

An employee shall receive 100% of his or her salary during parental leave.

Parental leave shall not be counted against annual leave or sick leave, which shall continue to accrue during the period of parental leave. Holidays shall not be counted against parental leave. Parental leave shall run concurrently with FMLA leave if the employee is eligible.

Parental leave is available for any birth or adoption that occurs on or after March 13, 2017.

Parental leave must be taken in a single block of consecutive work days interrupted only by weekends and holidays. Once an employee returns to work from parental leave, any unused parental-leave time will be extinguished.

Parental leave must begin within the 12 weeks following the birth or adoption of a child. Parental leave may not be donated or carried over to future years.